Salzburg Travelers Recommend

3 days in Salzburg gives you time to enjoy its landmarks and culture, and also cast your net into the nearby Austrian and German Alps. From touring the area’s Sound of Music locations and Salzburg’s Mozart museums to delving into salt mines and lakeside villages, here’s how to spend three days in and around Salzburg.

Day 1: Sights and Sounds

Blessed with baroque architecture and a music and movie heritage rooted in Mozart and The Sound of Music, Salzburg offers many attractions. Take a hop-on hop-off tour to see all its sights in single loop, or disembark at the stops to explore star attractions such as St. Peter’s Abbey (Stift Sankt Peter) and the Getreidegasse shopping street. Or, perhaps drill deeper into Old Town and Salzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) by joining a shared or private guided walking tour. Next, zoom in on Salzburg’s specialities. Prebook entry to Mozart’s Birthplace (Mozart Geburtshaus) and Mozart’s Residence (Mozart Wohnhaus)—both once home to the composer. Or, join an all-singing Sound of Music coach tour around the movie’s settings.

Day 2: Explore the Countryside

Austria’s Salzkammergut lake district and Germany’s Bavarian Alps both lie near Salzburg. Private and group day trips to Bavaria’s Alps abound, with most focusing on the Eagle’s Nest—the former mountaintop retreat of Adolf Hitler. Many also encompass the region’s centuries-old salt mines and pristine mountain-framed King’s Lake (Königssee). Alternatively, take a tour to the jewel-like Austrian lakeside village of Hallstatt with its Alpine houses, salt mine, and views. Also within easy reach is the lakefront village of St. Wolfgang. Tours here often include a lake cruise or time in nearby Hallstatt to double down on the Alpine scenery.

Day 3: Culture and Concerts

It’s time for a bigger bite into Salzburg’s culture. Perhaps discover the art of making one a local sweet treat—apple strudel—at a cooking class. Or, if it’s Christmas, combine strudel-making with Christmas cookies. Other festive experiences that beckon in winter include a Christmas horse-drawn sleigh ride in the snowy countryside and a tour of Salzburg’s Christmas markets. Whatever the season, spend your last evening at one of Salzburg’s glittering dinner concerts. Book ahead for dinner in the Baroque Hall of St. Peter where guests are serenaded by singers performing Mozart. Or, take a seat for a Mirabell Palace (Schloss Mirabell) concert or puppet show at Salzburg’s Marionette Theater—both fitting finales.

Few films are as beloved as The Sound of Music, and following in the footsteps of the Von Trapp family is a popular activity for visitors to Salzburg. Visit film sites in Austria’s countryside on a tour from Salzburg—see below for your options.

Austria Filming Sites Tours Relive your favorite moments from the musical as you visit several different filming locations and sing along to the film’s soundtrack on the tour bus. See the gazebo where Sixteen Going on Seventeen was filmed; visit Mondsee, where Maria and Captain Von Trapp were married; pose for photos by the stunning Lake Fuschl; and dance around in the Mirabell Gardens, where the children first sang Do-Re-Mi.

Private Sightseeing Tours Private Sound of Music tours offer a tailor-made experience and ensure the undivided attention of your guide. Benefit from a flexible itinerary, spend more time at the locations that interest you most, and enjoy extras such as an apple strudel cooking class or breakfast at the luxurious Schloss Leopoldskron. Private tours typically include hotel pickup.

Combo Tours

Booking a combo tour is a great way to save both time and money, pairing a classic Sound of Music tour with visits to other top Salzburg attractions. Perhaps couple your movie location tour with a walking tour of Salzburg’s UNESCO-listed historic center, a visit to a famous nearby salt mine, or a fun Sound of Salzburg dinner show at the Sternbräu beer hall.

Two days in Salzburg is enough time to explore the city, unraveling its connections with Mozart and The Sound of Music, and experiencing the glorious lake and mountain scenery of the surrounding Salzkammergut lake district and Bavarian Alps. Here are our ideas for a perfect two days in this Austrian gem.

Day 1: Sights, Sleighs, and Shows

Morning: Board a hop-on hop-off bus to view Salzburg’s landmarks and create your own itinerary. Alternatively, save your feet with a short panoramic bus tour followed by coffee and cake at a city-view restaurant. To go deeper, choose an on-foot tour—visiting must-sees including Salzburg Cathedral (Dom) and Getreidegasse with a guide.

Afternoon: After admiring Salzburg’s sights, dive into its music and movie history. Save time by prebooking admission to its two Mozart museums—Mozart’s Birthplace (Mozart Geburtshaus) and Mozart’s Residence (Mozart Wohnhaus)—to explore independently. Or, join one of The Sound of Music coach tours for a tour of important filming locations.

Night: If you’re in Salzburg in winter, finish with a private horse-drawn sleigh ride, gliding through the snowy Salzkammergut woods in a blanket-lined carriage. Alternatively, discover Salzburg’s proud marionette tradition. Book ahead to watch wooden puppets perform The Sound of Music or Mozart’s The Magic Flute in the Marionette Theater.

Day 2: Strudel, Summits, and Scenery

Morning: Now that you've seen Salzburg’s top sights, delve into the city’s cuisine. Learn to make classic apple strudel at a cooking class before enjoying your creations over lunch. If you wish, push your skills further with a class that includes nockerl soufflé—another local favorite.

Afternoon: Experience Salzburg’s countryside with a trip into the Bavarian Alps or Salzkammergut region. Take a private or shared tour to the Eagle’s Nest—once Adolf Hitler’s mountaintop lair—perhaps combining it with Berchtesgaden’s 500-year-old salt mine or the emerald-green King’s Lake (Königssee).

Night: Mozart Magic

End your Salzburg stay on a high note with a Mozart dinner concert. Take your pick from the many variations available, and book in advance to ensure your place. Venues include the Salzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg) and the frescoed Baroque Hall of St. Peter—where costumed performers sing Mozart’s works around candlelit tables.

Perched high in the Bavarian Alps, Eagle’s Nest is a stunning sight with a dark history as the former summer retreat of Adolf Hitler. Set just over the German border, the site is easily visited on a day tour from Salzburg—here are your options.

Half-Day Tours

A half-day tour is the quickest way to visit the Eagle’s Nest, traveling by coach over the border to Berchtesgaden, then climbing to the mountaintop at 6,600 feet (2,011 meters). With pre-booked tickets, you'll enjoy skip-the-line access and have a guide on hand to explain the history of the Eagle’s Nest and its use by Hitler and the Third Reich. Many tours allow for free time to explore independently, take in the views, or purchase lunch at the onsite restaurant. To maximize your time, opt for a private tour that includes hotel pickup, private transport, and the chance to visit nearby sights, such as Königsee Lake, along the way.

Full-Day Tours

The journey from Salzburg to the Bavarian Alps is just as spectacular as the destination, and a full-day tour provides ample time to soak up the scenery at your leisure. With time to spare, combine your tour of the Eagle’s Nest with other popular sights, such as the historic salt mines of Obersalzberg, the World War II sites of Berchtesgaden, or the Austrian Lake District, where The Sound of Music was filmed.

Things to Know

• Berchtesgaden is located about 22 miles (35 km) south of Salzburg, over the German border.

• The Eagle’s Nest is reached by a 10-minute bus ride up the mountain (included in ticket prices), followed by an elevator up to the estate.

• Half-day tours to the Eagle’s Nest typically last between 4.5 to 6 hours, while full-day tours can last up to 9 hours.

• Bring warm clothes or a sweater—it can be chilly on the mountaintop even in the summer months—and comfortable shoes if you want to walk up to the viewpoint.

• Thanks to Europe’s open-border policy, you don’t need to pass through a passport check even though you will be traveling from Austria to Germany (although most tours do require that you bring your passport).

• Tours include entrance fees and round-trip transport from Salzburg.

The birthplace of Mozart and setting of The Sound of Music, Salzburg also provides ample historical sights—including baroque churches, squares, a fortress, and cobbled Old Town lanes. With so much to see and do, here’s how to cover this Austrian city’s sights and musical spirit in a single day.

Morning: Sights and Strolls

Salzburg Old Town is compact, making walking around easy. Most on-foot tours cover the city’s signature sights, such as Salzburg Cathedral (Dom), St. Peter’s Abbey (Stift Sankt Peter), the exterior of Mozart’s Birthplace (Mozart Geburtshaus), and Mirabell Palace and Gardens (Schloss Mirabell und Mirabellgarten), where you can see the stairway featured in The Sound of Music. Other options include private tours of Old Town combined with Salzburg Fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg), perched high above the city. Alternatively, take a hop-on hop-off bus tour for an overview of landmarks and a way to create your own itinerary.

Afternoon: From The Sound of Music to Mozart

Follow-up your citywide sightseeing with a focus on one of Salzburg’s musical claims to fame. Various Sound of Music tours cover the movie’s most famous filming locations including sites outside the city such as Leopoldskron Castle (Schloss Leopoldskron) and basilica St. Michael in Mondsee. If Mozart is an interest, prebook entry to Mozart’s Birthplace—the composer's early family home-turned-museum displays his childhood possessions and musical instruments. Or, choose a 2-ticket combo with admission to Mozart’s Residence (Mozart Wohnhaus), his later family home. For a fuller look at Mozart, choose a bus tour that spotlights Mozart-era Salzburg.

Night: Classical Music and Cuisine

Salzburg’s musical heritage comes alive at night, along with the city’s romantic lights. Opt for a Mozart-themed dinner concert in one of the Old Town’s halls; savor gourmet dishes while costumed singers and musicians perform the composer’s works. Alternatively, pair a river cruise with dinner and a Mozart recital at the Salzburg Fortress, views over the city. Another option is a show at the historical Salzburg Marionette Theater—watch Mozart’s The Magic Flute or The Sound of Music story played out by carved wooden puppets, complete with music and song.